2 killed, 6 injured in shooting in Nice, France

Two people were killed and six others were injured when a gunman opened fire in a square in the French city of Nice before fleeing on a scooter, according to local officials and prosecutors. Authorities are investigating the shooting as drug-related.

Mayor Éric Ciotti said the shooting left 11 victims in total, including two people killed, six people physically injured and three others treated for shock.

Prosecutors said the gunman crossed the square on a scooter and opened fire several times before leaving the area on the scooter. He then got into a Renault Captur parked nearby and fled.

The shooter fired in bursts with a 7.62 mm short Tokarev-caliber weapon, according to prosecutors. Seventeen shell casings were found at the scene.

The two people who were killed were born in 1968 and 1987, according to prosecutors. Authorities said neither had a known history connected to drug trafficking.

Six other people were wounded by gunfire or shrapnel. They were born in 1973, 1977, 1978, 1983, 1999 and 2003.

Three of the wounded were taken to a hospital in critical condition, while three others had less serious injuries. Prosecutors said three of the wounded had prior records linked to drug trafficking cases.

The Nice prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into murder by an organized gang and criminal conspiracy. No arrests were immediately announced.